A Mile In Our Shoes: Across The Pond - Northern Ireland up the coast

July 16, 2012

As we made our way up the beautiful coast of Northern Ireland, we made a quick stop in a small fishing village to get a coffee and some fresh air.

While we were walking around this little village, Chris appeared with a local snack called Dulse that we just had to try. Dulse is an edible alga (seaweed) which grows widely along the shorelines of the North Atlantic. It has been harvested as a source of food for thousands of years, and continues to be popular in Northern Ireland, Iceland, and parts of Canada. I dove right into it as I like seaweed. This one is VERY chewy and tough and takes about 10 minutes to get soft enough to swallow. Even tough, it is pretty tasty (if you like the taste of the ocean) and the health benefits are huge.

Dulse

More of the coast as we came into Cushendall where we will have lunch.

The little village of Cushendall

We took a quick hike up to a vista point to get some exercise before we have lunch. We came upon this huge fuschia hedge about 10 ft tall and over 100 ft. long. We have never seen a fuschia so big.

Here is a great movie of the surrounding landscape in Cushendall. It's just beautiful.
(All that hard breathing from me is because we just hiked up a huge hill :o)

With all that hiking, we became really parched (thirsty in proper English) so we stepped right into this pub called Johnny Joe's for, what else, a Guinness.

The entire bar walls are covered with money from all over the world.

Here is old Abe between a 500 bill from Zaire, a 5 from Bank of Ireland (in Celtic) and a 100 from Oman.

After our Guinness, we stepped across the street to a seafood restaurant called Harry's. This place is known for it's REALLY GREAT seafood. YUM!

Bloody Mary Mussels with Garlic Dipping Bread. The most flavorful mussels we have EVER had. I'm not kidding. They were unbelievably delicious. I got the sauce recipe from the waitress :o)

Fresh Maldon Oysters on the half shell. We had never had Malden oysters and are really, really, really, REALLY over the top delicious. Sad that we won't have them again until we come back here as they are from the British Isles. The Maldon is my next favorite oyster in the world next to the Kumamoto.

Cesar Salad

...there was also Seafood Chowder, Grilled Goats Cheese with Burnt Red Peppers and Marmalade Glaze, etc. etc..........it was all really fabulous!

We left Cushendall with full bellies and a happy heart and continued north, up the coast to Ballycastle.

On the edge of Ballycastle Golf Course is Bonamargy Friary and its fabulous ancient graveyard. I find graveyards fascinating and have stopped in many over the years during my travels. Here is a little history on this one:

Bonamargy Friary is the ruin of a Franciscan friary founded by Rory McQuillan about 1500 and used until the mid seventeenth century. One of the last friaries to be built before the Reformation, it was approached by a small, two-storey gate-house. The friary church, originally roofed with thatch, is long and rectangular, and retains much of a fine east window. Against the south wall is a fine McNaughten tomb of 1630, and a low, holed cross at the western end is traditionally said to mark the grave of Julia McQuillan, a recluse nun who lived here in the 17th century. There is also a sealed vault which contains the coffins of several MacDonnell chiefs most well known locally was Sorley Boy resting in his massive coffin. In 1584, the church was burned when Irish and Scots attacked English troops quartered here, but the friars continued to use the church throughout much of the 17th century.
There is a stairwell leading to the roof but be careful not to step on the thirteenth step as this will incur a misfortune. When you reach the roof you will find an excellent view over the surrounding golf course, but be aware that only a few hundred years ago this beautiful place would have been the scene of many a vicious battle between the MacDonnells and the MacQuillans and many a courageous warrior was slain here.

There has just been a memorial day here so poppy wreaths are placed at the gravestones from The Great War.

A magnificent Celtic cross. Note the Irish harp carved just below the center.
And, look at the light!

Here is Chris standing at the sealed vault which contains the coffins of several MacDonnell chiefs.

I stuck the camera lens through a crack in the door and here is what came out in the photo. Oh, the mysteries of the dark tomb!

Here is the stairwell that leads to the roof. We didn't go up there as it is said if you step on the thirteenth step you will incur a misfortune. :o)

Here is the really cool low, holed cross that marks the grave of Julia McQuillan, a recluse nun (the Black Nun) who lived here in the 17th century. Go here for an interesting tale about the Black Nun: http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/antrim/A789285.shtml

This gravestone has an effigy with wings carving which signifies the flight of the soul.

(I did a bit of research on gravestone carvings and found a great document: Symbols On Gravestones And Their Interpretations, so I think I am getting these right).

We figured the skull and crossbones means this is the grave of a pirate. Arrrrrrgh! Actually, it really symbolizes mortality.

Here is part of the Ballycastle golf club at the edge of the graveyard. We passed a number of Links courses on our journey. The Irish love their golf!